Chapter 83: "All Things Bee"

Post your reactions as you read. It's a long chapter 😁

First draft: February 24, 2022

Will walked towards the little canopy at the far end of the park. It was mostly covered from sight by the hedges growing wild around it, and was one of the favourite spot for young kids, sneaking out on dates for that very reason. Back when the hedges were well-kept and trimmed down beautifully, Will and Salma had spent many afternoons in this hiding spot, snacking on the cookies they had managed to steal, and keeping an eye on the swing, conspiring to get the other kids off of it so they could enjoy it, instead.

Right now, as Will walked under the canopy, he did not see the friend he had loved to bits sitting on one of the benches, but the man who had ended up marrying her.

Zayn looked up from his phone when he heard William approach. His eyes widened.

"Holy shi--!"

"Yeah, well, there's nothing holy about shit, never has been, never will be," Will interrupted dismissively as Zayn's eyes did another quick once-over. "Why are you here? Why did you call me? Get on with it."

Will's snark did not phase Zayn at all. He still kept staring at the once-curly haired boy, completely bewildered. It seemed as if he was finding it hard to come to terms with what he saw.

"Assalam o alaikom. . ?" Zayn finally offered.

As Will stood there, with tense shoulders, hands stuffed in the pocket of his pants and a hard frown etched on his brow, he had to admit the greeting had a weird dampening effect on his temper.

"Wa alaikom Assalam," he muttered begrudgingly. The words felt foreign on his tongue. He had never wished the man in front of him, anything but a couple of well aimed punches. It almost felt like he had unwillingly accepted an olive branch, calling it peace on everything in their past.

Will shook that thought away, mentally retching at the idea.

No, it doesn't! He gritted his teeth. There could never be peace between them after all that happened!

"So . . . What happened?"

Will looked up to see Zayn pointing in his general direction.

"What became of the rest of you?"

"Did you seriously call me over to discuss my health?"

"No." Zayn shrugged a shoulder, "but it's a massive distraction like what happened to the --"

"It wasn't drugs!"

William's defensive snarl was followed by a long, awkward silence. Zayn, who had opened his mouth to deny suggesting drug abuse, shut it close and pursed his lips.

"I sure hope so," he mumbled in a way that said he didn't quite believe him. "Because I need you healthy and sane for what I am about to ask."

Will snorted a sarcastic laugh, walking over to one of the benches and slumping down.

"Good luck with that," he muttered. "Look, if you are going to tell me off for being around Sally, start flexing the fact that she's started accepting you, or threaten me into staying away from her, then just get on with it. Don't waste my time and energy, and definitely don't mock my health. I didn't come here to throw blows --"

"Neither did I," Zayn interrupted his angry speech. "I wish I were here for something as petty as that. Heck! Smugly parading Bee next to me, in front of the world, would have been such a wild show, but no, unfortunately, that's not it."

"Right," Will snorted. "Then if we can please move on from the subject of my suspected drug abuse and get to the point . . ." He trailed off suggestively.

Zayn took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. He had turned rather serious.

"Under normal circumstance, I'd probably have asked you to stay away from Bee right about now, but . . ." Zayn interlocked his fingers, rubbing his thumb on his palm. He shook his head. "I need you to do something for me, Sterling," he began, turning to look Will directly in the eye. "Take care of something when I'm gone."

Will looked at him comically, raising a brow. He wanted to make a sarcastic comment but something about the grave look on Zayn's face, made him second-guess taking him non-seriously.

"Sorry, what?!" Will expressed his disbelief, nonetheless.

Zayn quietly rolled back his sleeve and undid, what looked like, a plane ring of a metal. Twirling it in his fingers a few times, he stared hard at shiny circlet, a thousand emotions crossing through his ember eyes. He heaved a deep breath as if bracing himself to do something painful and unpleasant, and put band on the table towards Will. The lone white pearl on the bracelet glinted in the reflected sunlight.

First draft: June 2018

Salma just stared at Zayn sitting in front of her. He stared right back. A small, amused smile was playing on his lips. It was almost a stare down contest. Except, he was really good, and Salma's eyes would start watering within seconds everytime she tried to impose an undeclared match on him. She blinked yet again, taking in a slow deep breath, but otherwise keeping her face passive. There really was not anything else for her to do. And perhaps he knew that she was bursting at the seams to take a peak out of the small window. Salma glanced as far out of the corner of her eye as she could, without turning her head. She saw nothing but the blue of skies she had seen earlier. If only she could scoot a little to the left.

"Uh, uh!" Zayn interrupted.

"I was just shuffling my feet," Salma lied, rolling her eyes. "Or do you expect me to sit like a statue throughout the ride?"

"Eyes on me sweetheart," Zayn teased. "That is the only condition you are to meet."

"You're so annoying. Like, if I take another look at you, my brain would explode," Salma returned.

Zayn chuckled.

"Nothing that can't be helped," he replied, turning to the man on his left. "Eric, is it time?"

"Yep, about time," the man replied. Eric was smiling but Salma did not trust it. Even with his eyes glazed with shades, Salma could tell they gleamed with mischief.

"Let's get you geared up to protect your brains from popping over." Zayn smirked, getting something out of his pocket and reaching for Salma.

"What?" She pushed away distrustfully.

"A Zayn-proof eye-cover," he said, holding up a blind-fold.

"Heck, no!"

"Heck yes." Zayn laughed. "Come on now!"

"I'm NOT flying in a copter, with you, to an unknown location, blindfolded!" Salma cried.

"You are flying in a copter, with me, to an unknown location, blindfolded," Zayn countered, sounding amused.

"No—"

"Didn't I do it?" He raised a brow. "And you let that lunatic push me off a cliff?"

"I let that lunatic push 'us' off a cliff." Salma corrected.

Zayn nodded his head with a 'you know it' sort of a smile.

Salma sighed in defeat, motioning for Zayn to go ahead.

"Are you going to push me off this copter?" Salma asked, as her world went dark and extra noisy with Zayn tying a soft, dark blindfold over her eyes.

She heard Zayn laugh in reply but otherwise, he did not say anything.

"You know, you're not that bad to look at," Salma muttered when he did not reply even after a pause.

"Too late for flattery, baby Bee."

"It's not flattery! You're actually nice to look at. Good symmetrical features and all, but yeah, you're very annoying," Salma continued grumbling, then as if she realized what he had called her. "And I'm not a baby!"

"Nope, you're just Bee." Zayn kissed her forehead, sounding amused. "And my baby."

Salma blushed beetroot.

"I take my words back. You're annoying and horrible to look at!"

She heard Zayn laugh again.

Salma became quiet, listening to the noise of the copter's wings, and few other sounds she could discern over the din of the engine and the rotors. She tried to hold onto the happenings around her, but truth be told, having her eyes wrapped was giving her anxiety. It made her feel unsafe. She was reminded of her getting kidnapped. A ghost of a pain shot through her little finger.

She startled when something brushed over her hands. Salma realized it was Zayn's fingers when he wrapped his hand around hers, giving her a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry Bee," he said. "If it's cliff, I'll be jumping with you."

Salma swallowed her unease and nodded. A moment of silence was followed by a movement.

"Bee, you alright?" Zayn asked, sounding concerned. "You seem very pale."

"Yeah, I am good," Salma replied. "Just not a big fan of having my eyes tied. Makes me anxious."

"I'm sorry, let me remove it –"

"No!" Salma pushed away when she felt his hands reaching for the knot behind her head.

Zayn's movement froze.

"It's alright," Salma replied. "I'm not a big fan but I'll survive."

She shrugged to appear indifferent but Zayn was not reassured.

"There's other ways to keep you from looking –"

"We'll be landing in five minutes," Eric interrupted.

"Okay," Zayn replied before reaching for Salma's hands again. "Bee—"

"I'm good," she replied squeezing his hands back. "I'm not that fragile. Let's not ruin my 'Hurried-Eid-Mubarak' surprise, shall we?"

"Hurried-Eid-Mubarak!" Zayn laughed. "That's so lame. Even for you!"

"What's so funny?" Salma frowned playfully. "This is us spending our 'Eid time' in advance."

"I just can't with you!"

"If Fast-it forward can work, why can't I call it 'Hurried-'Eid-Mubarak?"

"I'm just done." Zayn continued, chuckling.

Salma smiled to herself.

"Your sense of humor is done," she muttered.

***

Once the helicopter ride ended, Zayn led Salma to a car. Barely ten minutes later, they stopped and stepped out on what appeared to be the side of the road. It was a bit windy where she stood, but she could feel the warmth of the bright sun shielding her against the cold. While Zayn talked with the men, Salma moved one of her hand around till her fingers knocked against a metal expanse. She felt the smooth, cold surface. It felt like a rail guard. Salma heard a car whizz past her on the road. She dropped her hand lower where it grazed against something stiff, like twigs, with softer ends. Probably leaves, Salma guessed as she felt the small bush with her fingers. Also, she could feel blades of grass.

Where were they, exactly?

"Alright, let's go," Zayn said, reaching for her and draping an arm around her shoulders.

"Why do I feel like I'm missing on a view?" Salma asked, hearing the chirping of birds in the bush and the buzz of an insect flying past her ear.

"Because you are." Zayn laughed.

"This is unfair." Salma pouted.

"We'll stop by on our way back, so you can watch the view to your heart's content," Zayn promised.

"Alright, step up!" an unfamiliar voice called. "Put the gear on."

Gear? Salma frowned.

"Now I know how you felt back at the cliffs," she said as she felt Zayn put a helmet on her.

"No, you don't." Zayn replied. "I am not cruel enough to subject you to Snob's madness!"

Salma raised her hand to see if he was wearing a helmet too when her fingers rested against his lips and cheek. He was smiling. Zayn brushed a quick kiss against her finger tips. A warmth tickled up her arm. She quickly withdrew her fingers.

"What are you doing?" he chuckled as he clasped her helmet securely.

Salma cleared her throat, raising her hands up till she felt his head.

"Checking if you are gearing up too," she replied, knocking her knuckles against the hard surface of his helmet.

"Nope, you are own your own!" Zayn joked.

After padding up and tying a few ropes. Salma felt herself being lead downwards a slope of sorts. She could feel rocks and long grass under her feet. It did not feel like a very safe trek downhill with a blindfold on, but Zayn had a firm hold of her and was eager to just pick her up, and help her cross, whatever unsafe part she was supposed to jump over.

It was a long trek. Longer still for Salma, since she was blindfolded for over two hours now. She started wishing she would have taken Zayn up on his offer to remove it back in the copter. The skin around her eyes had began to itch. Zayn too, seemed to have started realising, this part of his plan was not very pleasant for her.

"This was a stupid arrangement," Zayn muttered as he handed her a water bottle after helping her rid herself of all the gear and the ropes. He sounded defeated and unhappy about his plans. "Let me just remove it –"

"Um, nope!" Salma backed off, displaying her usual stubbornness, slapping his hands away blindly. "Unless it's for another two hours, let it be."

Zayn sighed.

"It's like less than half an hour but –"

"I can keep it for thirty minutes," Salma reassured, scooting closer to lean against him. "Now cheer up. I'm sure it'll be worth it."

Zayn drew her closer, kissing her head.

"I hope so."

"I'm sure so," Salma countered.

After another half an hour – of what sounded to Salma like a blind walk through a forest – they finally reached their destination. As Salma stood there, anticipating the surprise, she could feel the warmth of the sun again. She figured they were in the clear once more, but still somewhere close to the trees, judging by the various songs of the birds.

"Alright." Zayn took in deep breath and released it slowly. "Here goes nothing."

Salma felt him reach for the knot, undoing it.

"Hurried 'Eid Mubarak!"

The laugh that erupted from her throat at his stupid cheer, dried up on her lips as her eyes strayed away from widely grinning Zayn, to the sight behind him.

Her mouth hung open. She was awestruck. Her mind unable to grasp what she saw. Standing tall in front of her, in all its wrecked, wooden glory was the old shack. Except it was not completely an old wreck anymore. The place had been cleaned and repaired in places, making it look more like a cosy little cottage built into the side of a mountain, rather than a dilapidated building buried under rocks. Salma walked towards the beautifully polished steps. She gingerly rested a hand atop the banister.

"I – Am I - Is this a dream?" she laughed, sounding uncertain.

Zayn, who had been quietly watching her awestruck reaction, smiled.

"The good kind or the bad kind?" he asked, looking a bit nervous.

Salma laughed, looking away from the house and around her for the first time. As her eyes roamed the green slopes and the trees behind her, she could not believe she was back in the forest. She felt a smile stretching upon her lips. As scary and dangerous, at times, as her stay in this place had been, Salma realized she had really missed the forest.

"Never in my life would I have imagined you would bring me here." She grinned. "That blindfold ordeal was totally worth it!"

Zayn chuckled and Salma could see him relaxing, as if relieved to hear her words.

"Sorry about that," he said.

"It's alright," she replied, smiling.

"Come on." Zayn placed a hand on her back, looking a lot more excited than he had a minute ago. "Let me show the lady around."

Salma laughed, following his lead as he raced up the few steps. The veranda had been repaired. It no longer had any holes in the roof, or missing floorboards on the floor. Infact, the pillars, the floor and the railings were all clean and polished like new. Also missing were the rocks – except one, around which several benches were installed. Salma walked towards it to see it covered in art. It had been painted with its history. A young dark hair man, sunken in the floor, was pushing the rock up with his foot as it crushed his injured leg. A struggling veiled figure of a girl was labouring to help him. She seemed to be phasing in and out of a gold and black form with electric static cracking around her.

"Is that . . ." Salma pointed at the girl, toiling to lift the rock. She turned to Zayn, charmed by his work.

"The first time the Super Bee found her power, yes," Zayn confirmed her suspicions.

The two laughed.

"This is so cute!" Salma said leaning into to Zayn in a sideways hug. He hugged her back. "I might have to arrange a kidnapping for you so you can pay me ransome with this rock."

Zayn chuckled.

"What are you doing to do with it?"

Salma shrugged.

"Place it in my garden, or next to my bed, as a side table," she replied grinning, before turning to the concrete master piece. "But I suppose this is where it is best placed. As a memorial."

"You're just easily touched," Zayn joked, walking away from the rock. "Come on!"

"I'm not," Salma denied, following after him. "That's a really beautiful addition to the whole makeover. Probably my favourite since it tells a story."

Zayn just shook his head, smiling. They walked past a few more beautiful paintings on the wall of the veranda, all in the shape of hexagon cells with some form of a bee, but Salma did not get the chance to appreciate the art properly. Zayn was in a hurry to lead her towards the other end of the veranda, where once there was a room with a missing wall towards the outside.

The wall had now been partly repaired, leaving a large section open towards veranda. Salma stepped into the all too familiar room where she had once been through a lot, struggling with a moody, injured boy, who was now her date. Like the rest of the place, the room too, has undergone a massive overhaul. It was kept bare, as it used to be, back then, except a rug on the floor that micmicked a hive and a few floor cushions, shaped like a Bee, strewn over it. It was the walls that had been completely transformed. What once used to be bare, dark walls made of weathered wood, were now restored to its original golden-brown hue and polished. All over the planks was Zayn's art, drawn within hexagon frames.

Salma stepped towards the closest painting, dazed. Her lips parted in awe to see an artist representation of her in her denim abaya and scarf, sitting beside an injured Zayn, in his navy blue T and torn jeans.

Salma walked by the wall to the next hexagon, where she was tending to his leg, then to the next where she dragged him, and the next where she placed the food on the floor next to an annoyed Zayn. On and on their story went, making her chuckle, recalling one thing or the other, that she had deliberately done to annoy him and he did not really know. As Salma came to the last frame where she was shown snuggled against him as he tried to keep her warm in his arms, she turned to Zayn.

"Are you going add the rest?" Salma asked, her voice thick with emotions as she waved at the empty, one-third of the wall behind her, and the completely bare wall to her right.

"This is everything that happened in this room, witnessed only by these walls," Zayn replied. "I'll paint on them our story as it continues in front of these walls."

Salma smiled, swallowing the lump in her throat.

"It's like a book, but drawn on the walls instead of pages," she said.

"More like a small museum of a natural history of Zalma," Zayn replied, making Salma chuckle.

"And you called me lame."

"I'm serious!" he said.

Salma smiled, nodding as she turned back to the wall and a half with all of Zayn's art.

"Hexagons," she said.

"A hive," Zayn confirmed.

"I see a lot of me," she said, jerking her head at all the Bee themed décor. "Where are you?"

Zayn looked at all of his paintings, quirking a brow.

"I'm not here?"

"Of course, the paintings." Salma smiled, nodding in understanding.

"I'm the one behind the veil, painting in plain sight as the admirer of the Bee," Zayn explained.

Salma laughed.

"Poetic," she said, impressed.

Zayn smiled, walking towards her. He took her hands in his and stepped back to the center, where the rug was spread. He stared at their intertwined hands for while, then took in a deep breath before meeting her gaze.

"There's a reason why I brought you here," he said seriously. "This," he looked around the room as he gave her hands a squeeze, "is where I first saw you after I regained consciousness."

Salma felt her heart flutter as he returned his gaze back to hers. His golden brown eyes were soft and twinkling, going to and fro between hers. An adoring smile was playing on his lips.

"And this," He took a small step back, "is where I want to propose to you."

Salma's eyes widened when Zayn started kneeling. Her lips parted in surprise.

"What?" She blinked stupidly.

Zayn chuckled quietly, pulling something out of his pocket. Salma felt heat creeping up her cheeks.

"No, but -This was – I mean," Salma struggled with her words, feeling an overwhelming mix of shyness and confusion fog her brain. "Come on! I mean, we're already –"

Salma cut off abruptly. She reddened further, looking anywhere but at Zayn. He had trouble staying rooted to where he was. With her getting this flustered, he just wanted to throw his arms around her. He loved her when she was bold and confident but he did not know what to do with himself when she was shy and sweet. It was overkill.

"Doesn't matter," Zayn replied, amused by her reaction to almost admitting that they were already married. "I never proposed and I wanted to."

Salma threw him a glance. He had this huge, goofy smile on his face, and a gleam in his eyes that just screamed happiness. His excitement was contagious. Salma felt her own lips tugging at the corners into a smile despite her best effort to keep a straight face.

"So, Bee," Zayn began. "Will you marry me?"

Her heart fluttered with a strange tickling sensation spreading through her rib cage. She did not know how to take it. She pressed her lips together. Why was she losing control of her facial muscles? Surely, it was a spasm and she was not smiling like an idiot?! Mortified, Salma attempted to straighten her features but failed. She turned away from him in embarrassment.

"Oh come on!" Zayn groaned, holding back a laugh.

Salma willed her heated cheeks to cool down. This was not right. She forced her lips to comply but they refused to align normally. The corners kept pulling back up.

"Rejected again? Nah, Bee, come on! Please don't do that?"

Salma took a deep breath. Zayn knew he was making her feel more shy but for once he allowed himself to indulge. Who knew the girl who would shout him inside out, at this very place, would actually get so embarrassed, she would be tongue-tied and unable to even look him in the eye, simply because he got down on one knee for her.

"Come on, turn around, Bee!" Zayn asked. "Please?"

Salma made one last attempt to stiffen her upper lip and wipe that smile of her off.

"Okay," she replied. "Just –"

She took in a deep breath again. Get you act together, she told herself. Seconds away from giggling like a school-girl. Grow up!

Too bad. Blood crept to her cheeks the moment she turned around to see him pouting at her. She looked away.

"Don't be pouting when you're down on one knee!" she complained.

Zayn laughed loudly.

"I'm not!" he denied untruthfully.

"Should you even be doing this?" Salma said, tired of struggling against her embarrassingly goofy smile.

"Oh yeah," Zayn replied matter of factly, before going completely serious again, "Now Bee."

Salma swallowed, preparing herself. She braved a look in his eye, and this time, she held his earnest gaze. All smiles evaporated, except for a shadow of it still dancing on their giddy features.

"Will you accept me as your person?"

She searched his caramel eyes, seeing the longing, the pain, the love, the concern, intermixed with a happy spark that she had not seen before. She recalled telling him once he could not care for her because he was not that person.

"Will you be mine?"

She remembered him asking her angrily, if it was because he was not that person, or because she would not let him be.

"Will you marry me?

Could he be that person? Salma thought. Was he not already?

Salma felt like she had known that answer all along.

"Yes," she heard herself whisper.

Zayn felt his heart skip a mad beat. She saw his eyes widen a little. A grin appeared on his face, and a mad fire ignited inside of him.

"God, this is hard!" he groaned, turning away for a moment. "Give me the strength to behave myself!"

Salma laughed at that, feeling her cheeks burn again. She felt her eyes sting. Embarrassed, she blinked her tears back quickly. What in the world was going on with her emotions?

"Okay." Zayn let out an awkward laugh. "You get to choose."

Salma frowned in confusion, until he raised the small black box that she had not notice him hold all this time, while drowning in her own embarrassing smiles and fighting back tears.

Her frown deepened to see two rings, delicately placed side by side on the soft velvet prop.

"I chose a ring for you. I had a feeling you would like it," Zayn started explaining. "But I was told I was a mad fool, that you would reject me straight up, and that I had to give you another."

Zayn saw her looking at him quizzically.

"I know." He sighed. "But we can agree this proposal is far from normal."

Salma just smiled. Zayn shifted a little, raising the rings further towards.

"Choose, Bee," he whispered. "Tell me I made the right choice."

Salma's heart started beating madly, as she finally turned to the rings. She felt like Portia's suitors in the Shakespeare's play. She did not know which ring he chose for her initially, and she did not want to make the wrong choice.

Zayn saw her eyes straying to the right . . . again, and again and . . . again. He smiled when they just stayed there.

His heart swelled with happiness and pride. He knew he had made the right choice.

He knew his girl. He knew what she would want.

What she was.

Salma opened her mouth, than hesitated. She bit her lip, and met his gaze on her, looking uncertain. He watched her swallow nervously.

"Our choice may differ," she began.

Zayn smiled.

"May," he replied. "I know."

Salma felt her face reddening again, this time from nervousness. Her heart picked up pace.

"But that does not mean I appreciate you, or any of this any less," she said earnestly.

Zayn realized she was worried if she picked a ring that was not his first choice, and hurt his feelings.

"It's alright," Zayn reassured her. "There is no wrong choice. I picked them both, in any case. Just go with your heart. I'm not letting you escape me either way."

She looked away, biting her smile. Zayn chuckled.

"Okay." She took in a deep breath. "If it were my choice, I'd pick . . ."

She raised her hand. Zayn stopped breathing.

"This one." She pointed at one of the rings.

"Oh God!" Zayn shouted out in relief.

Laughing, he fell sideways on the floor, taking her by surprise.

Salma blinked, watching dumbstruck as Zayn stretch out on the rug, laughing his butt off. He had gone quite red in the face, and had an arm place over it as he continued laughing. Salma felt a bit uncomfortable – the wrong kind. She knew her choice was not normal, but so what?

She liked the ring carved out of wood better than the delicate gold band with some richass sparkle mounted on it. The wooden ring had a cute Bee on it.

So What?!

Salma felt her blood pressure climbing. Specifically because she was stupid enough to entertain the idea that Zayn had had that wooden ring made for her, knowing she loved bees. Nope. In fact, it looked like he had that ring made knowing she would be blinded by the bug and go for cheap wood.

Zayn struggled to get up, trying to go back to his previous kneeling position, and failing because he was laughing so hard. His eyes were watering.

Salma suddenly felt her throat clog. His ridicule had hurt. Salma knew she was different and embraced it, but like anyone else, she hated getting ridiculed. She fought back bitter tears as she realized, this was one of the reasons why she was not ready to marry him – or anyone, for that matter. This difference between herself and the what the world perceived as normal.

"I am so, so proud," Zayn sniffed, finally calming down enough to be able to speak.

Proud? Salma turned to him. This is how he showed her he was proud of her?

"And so happy –"

"What're you –"

"Of myself," Zayn finally finished, making her heart sink again. "I'm so glad I was right, I can't even wait to rub it in their . . . but anyways," Zayn smiled, taking her small, trembling hand in his.

He stood up, unaware of her humiliation, of the fact that she was barely holding herself from bursting into tears, any second.

"This ring," he said, pointing at the gold ring "is the result of my legs getting forced into strenuous exercise of running a thousand miles, painful kicks, plummeting goals into the net and earning trophies. This is what – if I may be allowed to say - my hard earned money looks like."

Salma eyes pricked, making her blink back tears. She realized she had picked the wrong ring. He had put his blood and sweat into buying her the right ring and she was too different in her choices to see it. Heck! It even had a ruddy platinum and diamond Bee perched on top of it. What she thought was some valuable gem was actually a Bee. Its little wings were two crystals of diamonds and the abdomen had bands of alternating gold and platinum to mimic the black and yellow on a real Bee.

Salma swallowed the painful lump in her throat, her vision blurring with tears. Why could she just not go with her stupid choices for once, and choose what a normal person would go for?

"And this one," Zayn pointed at the wooden ring. Salma's eyes found the little artifact.

Even after all the shame, she still could not help but marvel at how beautiful the ring was. It too had a Bee on it, a bigger one. Small, twinkling black gems – or maybe just colored glass, she did not care to know – alternated with yellow ones elaborating its abdomen. The wings were made of glittering ambers. The red gems of a tiny flower peaked from underneath its body on which it was perched, and green ones were carved into what looked like a leaf.

Salma blinked away her tears, taking in a deep breath. She liked bees, colors and simple things, so what?!

So you walk all over his feelings, a voice in her head replied.

Oh God! Salma bit back a sob.

"I had trouble getting this one done on time." Zayn smiled nostalgically. "Just like I had trouble getting you."

He laughed, unknowingly making her feel even worse.

"Took me almost a month," Zayn told her, taking the ring out and holding it up gingerly. "I had to do the old arts and design Professor a couple of favors to let me in his studio, but I'm glad I was able to get it done on time. Took me a month to carve the Bee like I wanted --"

Salma's eyes shot back at him, cutting him short. She stared at him wide eyed.

"Is something wrong?" Zayn asked uneasily, after a while.

"Y-you --" Salma's mouth felt dry. She swallowed, and tried again. "You carved this yourself?!"

Zayn gave out an awkward chuckle, scratching his neck.

"Uh, I tried," he said, looking adorably nervous.

Salma's heart stabbed. The pressure behind her eyes started building again.

"I mean, it's not exactly perfect –"

"It is beyond perfect!" she whispered past her clogged throat, tracing a finger on the ring in his hand.

Zayn chuckled again, feeling awkward.

"I knew you'd like it," he replied, taking her hand and holding her ring finger tenderly, "I knew your definition of beauty did not involve big bucks. I knew you would feel uneasy with a heavy ring, worth thousands. I knew you liked things that were simpler, more natural, more personal."

He slipped the ring on her finger.

"This, Bee," he closed his fingers around her trembling ones, "is the result of my commitment, my time spent thinking about you, and my energy spent wanting to make you smile. This, is what my love looks like."

He planted a small kiss on the back of her hand.

A small sob escaped Salma's lips as the tears broke past all its barriers. She was overwhelmed. Without planning it, Salma threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She was too far gone to respond with words. She had no words.

Zayn froze with shock. Of the many reactions he had imagined getting from her after he proposed, such a raw display of emotions, with her hugging him and crying her eyes out, was not one of them. After overcoming the initial shock, Zayn responded with the same amount passion. He encircled his arms around her, holding her closer. He felt his own eyes sting a little.

"I don't even know what I did right in my life to land a girl like you, Bee," he told her tenderly, placing his cheek on her head, "but I'm proud and happy that I did."

Author's Note:

Look at all of you Melting 😅.

Funfact: this was probably the first scene I wrote for book II, back when I was still writing book I. When I first wrote this chapter in early 2018, I thought it was so cute. Now I think it's super cheesy 🤣.

Anyway, drop by my patreon to read the full book.

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Lots of love

J.